Avar-Age Polearms and Edged Weapons. Classification, Typology, Chronology and Technology

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130 CHAPTER 2


of the Pfullingen type.198 As a result, the Pfullingen type did not appear in the


Carpathian Basin during the 8th century in its original form, although there


is a spearhead type with similar attributes, and therefore can be considered


a local variant of the western type. Such spearheads were mainly found on


the northwestern periphery of the Avar settlement area. These spearheads are


dated to the first half of 8th century.


The third variant is characterised by the equal length of the blade and


socket, and a polygonal cross section of the socket (P.III.C/3.e) (map 18, fig. 48).


These spearheads can be classified as part of the Central European spearheads


known as ‘Egling type’. The main characteristic of this type is the narrow len-


ticular blade, the cross section of the socket is octagonal, and the blade is often


decorated with long parallel grooves.199


The Egling type was first identified among the Avar spearheads by Jozef


Zábojník, who assigned the spearheads of grave No. 616 at Devínska Nová


Ve s200 (fig. 48/3) and grave No. 53 at Bernolákovo (P.III.A/2.f )201 to this type.202


However, these spearheads share only some of the attributes of the Egling type


(such as socket of octagonal cross section) and are otherwise very different


from each other. The spearhead from grave No. 616 of Devínska Nová Ves has a


narrow lenticular blade and narrow socket of circular cross section, the wings


of which were bent next to each other (fig. 48/3).203 The spearhead from grave


No. 53 at Bernolákovo (fig. 44/5) has a short, lenticular blade and long circular


socket, the end of which is closed by a looped ring, and is therefore classified


as of type ‘P.III.A/2.f ’.204


If we use the definition of Garscha, only the spearheads from grave No. 176


at Čataj205 (fig. 48/2) and grave No. 11 at Žitavska Tôň206 (fig. 48/4) can be clas-


sified to this type, on the basis of their hexagonal cross section and the form of


the blade. The spearhead from the Xántus János Museum of Győr (a stray find


from the Koroncó site, fig. 48/1) also belongs to this type with its hexagonal


cross section and narrow lenticular blade.207


198 This spearhead is dated to the 2nd stage of Late phase by cast bronze rectangular
belt-mounts with griffon-decoration and hinged strap-end decorated by cornucopia
(Budinský-Krička – Točík 1991, 32–33. Taf. XVIII).
199 Stein 1967, 16.
200 Eisner 1952, 137, t. 65/8.
201 Kraskovská 1962, 436–437. tab. XI/1.
202 Zábojník 1978, 195–196.
203 Eisner 1952, 137, t. 65/8.
204 Kraskovská 1962, 436–437. tab. XI/1.
205 Hanuliak – Zábojník 1982, 498; Szentpéteri 1993, 121.
206 Čilinská 1963, 91. tab. VI/12.
207 Inventory number: XJM 53.310.1, collected by Sándor Gallus.

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